1. Field of Invention
The invention is directed to trauma cervical stability devices and, in particular, to adjustable cervical stability devices capable of easy and cost effective use by ambulatory personnel at the scene of the injury and of allowing injury diagnosis upon arrival at the hospital.
2. Description of Art
Trauma cervical collars are generally known in the art. Briefly, these cervical collars are carried on ambulances and other emergency personnel vehicles and are usually one-time use devices. These cervical collars provide limited, if any, means to adjust the cervical collar to fit the patient while securing the cervical collar to the injured patient. Generally, the patient must be moved to secure the cervical collar to the patient. Movement of the patient, however, can cause additional injury to the patient. In those cervical collars where adjustment is provided, the adjustment capabilities are limited which can result in the patient's head not being sufficiently stabilized with respect to the patient's spine, neck, or body.
In other cervical collars, adjustment of the cervical collar may be achieved without excessive movement of the patient, however, the cervical collar is large and complex. Thus, these cervical collars are not only difficult to store in emergency vehicles where space is limited, they are difficult to use by emergency personnel. Accordingly, these types of devices instead are used to rehabilitate the patient's injured neck, e.g., after diagnosis and, generally, operation on the patient at a hospital, as opposed to stability a traumatic injury to a patient at the scene of the injury.